Alternate Names: Loss of vision
Considerations: Blindness can be partial, with loss of only part of the vision. It can also be complete, in which case there is no perception of light. People worse than 20/200 vision are considered legally blind.
Blindness has many causes, yet the incidence of true blindness in the United States remains low. Accidents, diabetes, and macular degeneration account for most blindness in the United States. Worldwide, vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of blindness.
Common Causes:
Other (more rare) causes:- Jansky-Bielschowsky syndrome
- Krabbe disease
- retrolental fibroplasia
- achromatopsia
- Albers-Schonberg (osteopetrosis)
- Alpers diffuse cerebral degeneration
- anophthalmos
- Batten-Mayou
- Cockayne syndrome
- cryptophthalmia
- gonococcal ophthalmia
- Kufs’ disease
- Leber congenital amaurosis
- Niemann-Pick disease
- Norrie’s disease
- onchocerciasis (river blindness)
- Refsum syndrome
- Scholz disease
- Trisomy-13
- Vogt-Spielmeyer
Home Care: Safety and the ability to dress, eat, and function independently are of prime importance to a person with blindness.
Call If:
- partial or complete blindness develops in one or both eyes.
- sudden visual loss occurs.
What To Expect: The medical history will be obtained and a physical examination performed.
Medical history questions documenting blindness in detail may include:
- time pattern
- When did this begin?
- Did it occur suddenly or gradually?
- Does it occur only occasionally? How often?
- How long does it last?
- When does it occur, in the evening, morning, or all the time?
- quality
- Is the blindness complete?
- Is there any residual vision--for example, can light and dark be distinguished?
- Are both eyes affected?
- other symptoms
- additional information
- What medications are being taken?
- Is there a family history of diabetes?
- Have you had an injury to the eye or head?
A routine eye examination will be performed. The health care provider will check visual acuity, eye movements, pupils, back of the eye (ophthalmoscopy), and eye pressure (tonometry) when indicated. An overall medical evaluation will be done if indicated.
After seeing your health care provider:
You may want to add a diagnosis related to blindness to your personal medical record.
